Lord Howe Rise Seismic and Geophysical Data from 2016 Marine Survey

The Lord Howe Rise east of Australia is a 600 km wide, 1,600 km long continental ribbon in water depths up to 3,000 m. A 2016 marine survey acquired 680 km of wide-angle seismic refraction and multi-channel seismic reflection data, plus ~600 km of high-resolution 2D seismic, multibeam bathymetry, gravity, and magnetic data. Preliminary results from this Geoscience Australia and JAMSTEC collaboration image rift-fill sediments and basement from the Tasman Sea to the Lord Howe Platform.

Use Cases

• Modeling crustal structure based on wide-angle seismic refraction data from ~100 ocean-bottom seismometers.
• Interpreting rift basin geometry and sedimentary deposits using multi-channel seismic reflection profiles.
• Correlating basement type (oceanic vs. continental crust) with gravity and magnetic anomaly data.
• Planning future IODP drilling sites using high-resolution 2D seismic data from seven candidate locations.

Strengths

• Includes a 680 km long east-west seismic profile with conjoint wide-angle refraction and multi-channel reflection data.
• Seismic data recorded clear mantle (Pn) and Moho (PmP) reflected arrivals at offsets up to 250 km.
• Multibeam bathymetry, gravity, and magnetic data provide complementary geophysical constraints.
• Data supports an active IODP proposal aiming to drill up to 3,500 m below the seafloor.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and specific file sizes are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, Geoscience Australia, JAMSTEC

Collection Method

Acquired onboard the JAMSTEC vessel R/V Kairei in March–May 2016.

Time Range

2016

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 21:18:21.661379; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Lord Howe Rise, east of Australia, spanning the Tasman Sea, Dampier Ridge, Middleton, Capel and Faust basins, and Lord Howe Platform.